A30243:109
Spiritual refining
Spiritual refining: or A treatise of grace and assurance Wherein are handled, the doctrine of assurance. The use of signs in self-examination. How true graces may be distinguished from counterfeit. Several true signs of grace, and many false ones. The nature of grace under divers Scripture notions or titles, as regeneration, the new-creature, the heart of flesh, vocation, sanctification, &c. Many chief questions (occasionally) controverted between the orthodox and the Arminians. As also many cases of conscience. Tending to comfort and confirm saints. Undeceive and convert sinners. Being CXX sermons preached and now published by Anthony Burgess sometime fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and now pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire.Spiritual refining: or A treatise of grace and assurance Wherein are handled, the doctrine of assurance. The use of signs in self-examination. How true graces may be distinguished from counterfeit. Several true signs of grace, and many false ones. The nature of grace under divers Scripture notions or titles, as regeneration, the new-creature, the heart of flesh, vocation, sanctification, &c. Many chief questions (occasionally) controverted between the orthodox and the Arminians. As also many cases of conscience. Tending to comfort and confirm saints. Undeceive and convert sinners. Being CXX sermons preached and now published by Anthony Burgess sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and now pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire.
London: printed by A. Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A TREATISE OF GRACE and ASSURANCE; Being CXX. SERMONS. › Section 1 › Sermon 4
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, It is easier for a particular Church to know it is a true visible Church, then for a particular Christian to know that he is a true believer. For to a true visible 1Church are required only those notes and marks which are external, as the pure preaching of the Word with an external submission unto it, or receiving of it, and where this is, a man may conclude there is a true visible Church for the essence of it; but to the truth of grace in a mans heart, there is required internal and secret operations of Gods Spirit by a powerful and most effectual change of a mans soul. Now as in the notes and marks of a true Church, some take general marks which are common to false Churches, as the Papists, Signs of universality, antiquity and temporal felicity, &c. And again, Others they make the whole dispute about the marks of a Church useless and of no profit at all (as Episcopius that Remonstrant) so for the signs of grace, some are too large, and make those things arguments of grace which any hypocrite may attain to, as Baptism, Morality, external conformity to Gods Law, &c. So others, as the Antinomians, do wholly overthrow the Doctrine about signs of grace, and make it altogether useless to preach about them: but this is to be confuted in its time.
Thirdly, It is easier for a particular Church to know it is a true visible Church, then for a particular Christian to know that he is a true believer. For to a true visible 1Church are required only those notes and marks which are external, as the pure preaching of the Word with an external submission unto it, or receiving of it, and where this is, a man may conclude there is a true visible Church for the essence of it; but to the truth of grace in a mans heart, there is required internal and secret operations of Gods Spirit by a powerful and most effectual change of a mans soul. Now as in the notes and marks of a true Church, some take general marks which are common to false Churches, as the Papists, Signs of universality, antiquity and temporal felicity, &c. And again, Others they make the whole dispute about the marks of a Church uselesse and of no profit at all (as Episcopius that Remonstrant) so for the signs of grace, some are too large, and make those things arguments of grace which any hypocrite may attain to, as Baptism, Morality, external conformity to Gods Law, &c. So others, as the Antinomians, do wholly overthrow the Doctrine about signs of grace, and make it altogether uselesse to preach about them: but this is to be confuted in its time.